Barcelona youngster Alejandro Balde has emerged as a possible transfer target for Premier League heavyweights Chelsea heading into the summer window.
This claim comes from SPORT, who report that Barcelona have no desire of selling their academy graduate and are working hard to tie him down to a new long-term contract.
Balde has been one of the biggest surprise packages for Barça this season. The 19-year-old has established himself as the first-choice left-back under Xavi Hernandez, ahead of seasoned campaigners like Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso.
The teenager has also broken into the Spanish national team and made an impression in his handful of appearances on the international level.
Balde’s current contract with Barça expires in 2024, meaning he will be entering the final year of his deal this summer. The Catalans have been busy at work to renew his contract with talks having progressed well with his agent, Jorge Mendes.
Balde and his representative both want to continue at Barcelona. However, at the same time, Mendes has warned the Blaugrana that there are suitors for his teenager in the Premier League, with Chelsea understood to be the most interested.
The Blues are unhappy with their left-back options in Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell and have shown that they are not averse to spending the big bucks if needed. Balde has been on Chelsea’s radar in the past as well and they are once again looking at him as an option.
However, Barcelona’s focus remains on renewing Balde until 2027 and ensuring his successful registration as a first-team player before the next season kicks off.
At the same time, Mendes wants Barça to hand the 19-year-old a contract that reflects his growth and development in stature over the past year.
While the superagent understands that the club has had to cut down on their salary scale, he is still seeking wages similar to that of Ansu Fati and Pedri for Balde.
A full agreement is yet to be reached and registering the contract once that is done will also be a challenge. But the player is clear about wanting to continue at Camp Nou.
And Barcelona themselves are convinced that Balde will sign a new deal until 2027 after their latest meeting with Mendes. They plan to make an announcement before the end of the season before registering his contract with La Liga in the summer.
